Well, I can give you an example here in Chicago.

One of the main reasons chicago is in debt is because of pension funding, especially for police officers.

Chicago has the highest sales tax in the country, and steep property taxes, as well as other ridiculous taxes that other cities don’t have. And the majority of the money from those taxes go to paying the guaranteed pension fund of police officers. It has crippled the cities ability to get out of the red, and increases it every year.

This all happened because former Mayor Daley increased the pension benefits of police officers, as well as the pension being severely underfunded in the 90s, so Chicago just keeps increasing taxes and making up new ones to cover the cost.


So taxpayers are paying astronomical amounts of money in taxes to fund police officers who are not protecting and serving the community in a just fashion.

Here is something that is even more comical, you have police officers who are getting pension payments and getting a salary! You can retire as a police officer, collect your pension, and then get rehired as a police officer, getting your pension payments and a new salary. The taxpayer pays twice!


“James Hickey retired as a police lieutenant on Sept. 30, 1999, with an annual salary of $78,312. The very next day he started collecting his pension (currently $67,500 a year) and was rehired as a civilian. He is now working as the police department’s assistant director of research and development with an annual salary of $104,232. His total taxpayer-supported income is now $171,000.”